This report aims to provide a summary of the work of the Participation Team over the three months since the last Corporate Parenting Board meeting
Minutes:
The Participation Officer and Members of Insight and Unite presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The report aimed to provide a summary of the work of the Participation Team over the three months since the last Corporate Parenting Board meeting. A number of areas of activity were highlighted, including:
· Both the Children in Care and Care Experienced groups had continued to recruit more members. Several had come through connecting with foster carer coffee mornings. For the 12-17 age range there were 8 active members and a further 3 in the 8-11 age range.
· Unite were meeting every other week and currently had four active projects including a welcome box for children coming into care and projects on allowances and transport.
· Unite had worked on a celebration event which had gone reallt well. The Chairman of the Board had attended and had been able to congratulate everyone. Plans were already underway for an even better event next year.
· Work was also underway on the website for children in care to access important information and support.
· Insight was also working on a number of projects which included working on the website and producing a money management guide and training for staff to utilise the mental health directory to provide greater support.
· The group were meeting in the 333 hub and the opening of this had been an important event. The 333 hub was nominated for and won a national award. There was also now a young person working as an ambassador with the same organisation.
· The group had also worked with the IRO team on feedback from the consultation. Insight had worked on redesigning the consultation forms and final designs were in circulation.
· Insight had also produced business cards with a slogan and contact information. Members of the Board and Officers were asked to distribute these to young people as appropriate.
· Young people had been attending the training for trainee social workers.
· It was noted that there was no one place where information on allowances was available for young people. The different places where this was held had been identified. Jo Fry undertook to discuss this with Alison Maylor to move this forward.
· Insight was also planning on making a glossary for all of the different terms used in meetings. The plan was to go through past papers and to put together tips on working with care leavers and children in care. The long-term aim was to create a full pack for young people
· The Director of Chidlren’s Social care commented that it was great to hear that so much was going on and asked how the development of roles within the groups would work. It was notes that the roles would be focused around things like a housing champion and these would be voted on by the others in the group. It was noted that it would be ensured that these young people were then also able to link in with the right officers.
· The groups were asked that as much of the information as possible which they were producing would be put into a digital format
· A member raised some issues regarding provision of transport or discounted transport being made available particularly for people attending the 333 hub and that More Bus may be able to assist with this. Jo Fry agreed to follow up on this possibility.
· The Board was advised that in relation to the development of the Local Offer there were plans to coordinate this across the SouthWest region to help ensure that all local authorities had similar offers if people were to move to different areas.
In response to a point raised it was agreed that Insight could invite the Chairman and anyone interested to a meeting where the website was being developed.